EXCLUSIVE: Woman Details Being Attacked By 'Unhinged' Man While Walking In Rittenhouse Square
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Only on CBS3, a woman attacked in Rittenhouse Square while walking home is sharing her story. The terrifying encounter was all caught on video.
Her attacker remains on the loose and she fears he will do it again to someone else.
That woman, who is still very much dealing with the emotional toll of what happened, is speaking to CBS3 tonight to warn others about her attacker, hoping to stop a man she fears will strike again.
Surveillance video captured the blood-curdling screams from a woman followed, grabbed and fearing for her life.
"He was bold, he was unhinged," the victim said.
Moments before, you see that woman, whose identity we're protecting, walking home from work with her bike early Saturday morning along Addison Street.
"It's a really well-lit block and I've walked down it a hundred times," she said.
The unidentified man who initially passes her going the other direction.
"His pants were unzipped and his hands were down his pants," she said.
Suddenly, he turns and takes off.
"I heard the footsteps of him running behind me," she said.
The woman, on the phone with her mom, screamed for her to call 911.
"I kind of thought that would be the last time I would talk to my mom," she said.
That man grabbed her, then suddenly ran off.
"The only thing that I think stopped him from hurting me or raping me was that something made him think that he might immediately get caught," she said
Eyewitnesses called 911, staying with the woman until police arrived.
"He's still out there, he's an unassuming-looking person. I think he can go under the radar and continue to sexually assault women," she said.
The Special Victims Unit is investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call Philadelphia police.
CBS3's Alicia Roberts reports.
